Originally Posted by Palmer
The following is a general procedure for using a secondary fermentor.

Allow the Primary Fermentation stage to wind down. This will be 2 - 6 days (4 - 10 days for lagers) after pitching when the bubbling rate drops off dramatically to about 1-5 per minute. The krausen will have started to settle back into the beer.
Using a sanitized siphon (no sucking or splashing!), rack the beer off the trub into a another clean fermentor and affix an airlock. The beer should still be fairly cloudy with suspended yeast.
Racking from the primary may be done at any time after primary fermentation has more-or-less completed. (Although if it has been more than 3 weeks, you may as well bottle.) Most brewers will notice a brief increase in activity after racking, but then all activity may cease. This is very normal, it is not additional primary fermentation per se, but just dissolved carbon dioxide coming out of solution due to the disturbance. Fermentation (conditioning) is still taking place, so just leave it alone. A minimum useful time in the secondary fermentor is two weeks. Overly long times in the secondary (for light ales- more than 6 weeks) may require the addition of fresh yeast at bottling time for good carbonation. Always use the same strain as the original. This situation is usually not a concern. See the next chapter and the Recommended Reading Appendix for related information on lager brewing.

I have a High Gravity Bock (9.5%ABV) that has been in secondary for 5 weeks. How can I check to see if I will have to add more yeast at bottling?

I've left beer to condition for up to 3 months and not added any yeast. Yes it takes more then 2-3 weeks at room temperature to carbonate but they were big beers and needed more time anyways so not a problem.

I've left beer to condition for up to 3 months and not added any yeast. Yes it takes more then 2-3 weeks at room temperature to carbonate but they were big beers and needed more time anyways so not a problem.

GT

How big are we talking, this beer was 1.092 OG that attenuated down to 1.020.